Automatic stock-feeder



(No Model.) v5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I. L. DIAS- AUTOMATIC STOCK FEEDER. No. 245,795. Patented Aug. 16,1881.

withe'sae N. FEIERS. Pholo-Lilhugmphcr, Washington in;

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I. L. DIAS.

AUTOMATIC STOCK FEEDER. No. 245,795. Patented Aug. 16,1881.

Inventor N. PETERS Phulmhlhographer, wfimin mn. D. C.

(No Model.) 5 Sh eets8heet 3'.

I. L. DIAS. AUTOMATIC STOCK- FEEDER.

No. 245,795. Patented Aug. 16,1881.

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1771655 355 rwg or (No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4. I. L. DIAS.

AUTOMATIC STOCK FEEDER.

Patented Aug. 16,1881.

Witnesses f2.

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N. FEYERS, mmunm m nw. Washin ton. D. c

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet,5.

I. L. DIAS.

AUTOMATIC STOCK FEBDER.

1101 245,795. Patented Aug. 16,1881.

Witnesses T11 v n 1% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC L. DIAS, OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC STOCK-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,795, dated August16, 1881,

Application filed November 8, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC L. DIAS, ofPetaluma, county of Sonoma, and State of California, have invented anAutomatic Stock-Feeder; and I hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a novel device for feeding and watering stock atstated times, whereby, without the intermediate supervision of any one,the required amount of food and water will be deposited in the manger.

It consists of a peculiarly-constructed receptacle having a bottom ordoor in two parts, each secured by peculiar latches, said latches beingconnected with two alarm mechanisms of a clock, so .that at the desiredtime the latches may be tripped and the feed deposited in the manger.

It consists, further, in the employment of appropriate mechanismoperated by the bottom of the box in its fall, and connected with areceptacle or tank for water alongside of the manger, in which tank acommon floating ball operates to regulate and close the flow of water,all of which will hereinafter more particularly appear.

The object of my invention is to save time and labor in feeding andwatering animals, and to regulate to a certainty their meals.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general View of mydevice. Fig. 2 is a section through the box. Fig. 3 shows the deviceconnected with the clock-work. Fig. 4 shows clock mechanism. Fig. 5shows how any number of feed-boxes may be operated. Fig. 6 shows themanner of supplying water and feed. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are details ofconstruction.

LetA represent the feedin g-box, of sufficient capacity to hold aquantity of hay and grain. It is fastened to the wall of the barn, overthe manger, at sufficient height to not interfere with the animalsheads. This box is made Widest at the bottom. Its inside structure iscomposed of three parts-the largest, B, to hold the hay, the next one,C, for grain, and the outer one, D, also for grain. The hay-division B,being larger at the bottom than at the top, also has its sides flaring,so that the hay may be discharged freely and not clog itself. The bottomof the box A is composed of two por- (No model.)

tions, acting as doors, the larger one, E, covering the hay-division Band the first graindivision, 0, as shown. The smaller door, F, coversthe second grain-division, D. These doors are hinged by common ironstrap-hinges G to the front side of the box A, so that they swing fromthe rear forward.

Springs H are attached, as shown, to prevent the doorsfrom flying beyondthe perpendicular, and thus direct the hay and grain against the wall ofthe barn, which acts as a chute to conduct it to the manger. It is thusprevented'from falling down in the stall under the animals feet.

Into the edge of the door E is driven the bolt I, projecting an inch ortwo.

011 the back of the box A, which, though fastened to the wall, is setout a little from it, is the latch J, pivoted at K on a small castironplate attached to the box for greater securit y. The latch J is of apeculiar shape, having an upright arm, K, and a fork, 711. The upperprong of the fork is longer than the lower one. Its lower prong when atrest just clears a small slot, L, in the back of the box, in which thebolt I ascends. The upper prong extends across the slot L, so that thebolt I when ascending touches it and raises it up. The slot L is shownin Fig. 8.

Another peculiar latch, M, with its catch N,

en gages the upright arm of latch J and holds it in posit-ion. The latchM is pivoted to the box,'as shown. Its upper arm is connected with awire leading toward the alarm mechanism, connected with a clock, beingguided thereto by a bell-crank lever, as shown at 0. There the wirestops, and a twisted silk cord continues the communication to a spindle,P, set on the winding-shank of the alarm mechanism, around which itwinds. When the alarm is not wound up the wire is of such a length as tohold the latch M back, so that its clasp or catch will not engage thelatch J when the door E is open.

The operation of the latches and door will be as follows: Suppose thedoor E is open and hanging down, the latch J is at rest, and the upperlatch, M, is drawn back. Now, I wind the alarm, and the cord, woundabout the winding-shaft instead of winding up, is so fastened that itwill unwind, the wire loosens, and the latch M, forced by a smallspring, m, falls forward, so that its clasp or catch is in a positionready for service. I then close the door E by pulling on a cord, 0,attached to the door at b, rigged on pulleys on top of the box, asshown. As the door closes the bolt I, as it reaches the slot L, goespast the lower prong of the fork is and pushes against the upper prong,thus lifting the latch J up. As it lifts it brings the upright arm K insuch a position as to engage with the catch of the latch M, where it isheld fast. The bolt I then drops back upon the lower prong of the forkk, which, on account of its alter'ed position, now extends across theslot L, and there rests, holding the door fast. When the alarm goes offthe winding-shaft turns and winds up the cord on the spindle P,

which draws the wire and trips the latch M,

freeing the latch J, which, falling down, releases the bolt I, and thedoor E falls down. Having previously placed hay and grain in the box,which have been supported by the closed door E, they are discharged intothe manger, the grain going into its box immediately nuderneath, and thehay into its place.

The alarm is attached to an ordinary octagon clock, and is set in theusual manner, by placing the appropriate figure on its dials under thehour-hand.

I have thus far explained simply a portion of the feed-box. The secondgrain-division, D, of the box A, and its door F, are operated by thesame kind of latches in the same manner; but in order to so contrive asto have it discharged at a diflerent time I have applied a furtherdevice.

It will be well to explain the purpose of the grain-division D, and whyit is made to discharge at a different time. Take a horse, for example.After being driven hard he is returned heated. It will not do to givehim grain at once, he must be given hay; but he needs grain, too; so ifhe can haveit in half an hour it will be well. I place a feed of grainin division D. The horse has had his hay, and in half an hour he is tohave the grain, so that must come separately; and as I have filleddivisions B and O with hay and grain for his early morning meal, itcould not be so arranged tolet one door fall without the other unless ithad separate mechanism. For this purpose I apply similar contrivances asfar as the alarm. I take the alarm mechanism from a common upright clockand insert it in the frame of the octagon clock, so that this clock hastwo alarms. These two alarms are actuated by means of two dials, R andR, arranged upon the arbor of the same hour-hand, and are each providedwith anotch inclined in the same direction,

' but in different relative positions in their periphery. Into thesenotches respectively takes, as said dials revolve, an operating-rod, U.When either of the operating-rods U fall into the notch of its dial itsalarm goes 0E, windin g the cord and wire connecting with the latches ofthe door F. By this contrivance I make the same clock operate two alarmsfor performing separate duty. The grain will thus be discharged in halfan hour, and the hay and grain together next morning, or at any othertime I may desire.

In order to furnish water I make it dependent upon the opening of eitherdoor. Attached to the wall of the barn and running up beside the slot Lin the back of the box A is the rod V, formed at its upper end so as tohave the incline at c and rest (I, as shown. 1t is so placed that whenthe door E is closing the bolt Iwill slide up theincline, andwhen passeditwill be directly over the rest at d. The rod V operates a horizontallever, W, pivoted between the weight and power, as shown at e, andprovided with a catch,f, and a spring, 9, to hold it in position. Itengages with a trigger, g, attached to a stop-cock, 3, which iscontrolled by the rod 4 of an ordinary floating ball, X, in thewater-tank Y. A water-pipe, Z, furnishes the supply of water. Awaste-pipe carries the water off.

The operation of this water attachment is as follows: When the door E isclosed the lever W is horizontal, and its catch holds the floatingballup and the water is shut of. When the door is suddenly opened, inits descent the bolt I hits upon the rest at d of the rod V and pressesit down. This trips the catch f of the lever W and lets the floatingball drop, and the water flows in. As the tank fills the ball rises andcauses its latch to engage with the lever W, which has been forced backto its position by the spring 9, and the water is stopped.

The door F of the grain-division D is provided with a similarcontrivance. The lever W is extended to meet its operating-rod, andbecause the rod of the small door F has a longer leverage its weightwill not be against it. Thus every time food is given water is supplied.Now, when several boxes have to be operated in this way, the power ofthe alarm alone will not be sufficientto windup the cords to trip thelatches. I have therefore connected the latch-wires directly with abell-cranklever, n, placed in any portion of the barn, on the horizontalarm of which a weight, w, is placed. The weight-arm is placed in ahorizontal position by a cord and pulley, as shown. A latch,

0, holds it in position. The alarm mechanisms of the clock are connectedwith the latch 0, and when tripped the weight will be sufficient to tripthe entire series of latches.

The feed-box A, when the barn has a loft, is placed so that its basewill extend but a short distance below the loft-floor and be out of theway. The clock can be placed anywhere in the barn, as can also the greatactuating-levers for a combination, and connected with the latches bymeans of wires guided over bell-crank levers.

By this invention two feeds can be given at one time. After feeding hayand grain in the evening shut the doors and placefeed for morning; setalarms of clock for time wished, and the animals will be fed withoutmore ado.

This invention is particularly useful for men who keep their own horses,and who wish punctuality and a labor-saving machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let- 5 ters Patent, is-

1. The feed-box A, provided with divisions B G D and swinging doors E F,opened by gravity, in combination with a manger, ac, arranged directlybelow said feed-box, as shown,

10 and for the purpose described.

2. The double dials R and R, in combination with a single spindle andhour-wheel, and operating difi'erent alarm mechanisms, one alarm beingconnected with each door, sub- 15 stantially as herein described.

3. In combination with the doors E and F, the peculiarly-shaped rods V,operating the lever W for tripping the latch of the floating ball X inthe water-tank Y, substantially as 20 herein described.

, I. L. DIAS.

Witnesses:

WM. F. Boo'rn, S. H. NoURsE.

